How The Explosion In Travel Apps Makes It Easier For Marketers To Reach Affluent Frequent Flyers

Today's smartphones and apps can give real-time transportation advice, locate you anywhere in the world, act as your boarding pass, book your dinner reservation, translate languages, and even help you find a cheap, last-minute hotel room.

In a recent report from BI Intelligence, we explore the market for mobile travel services, dive into travel-related mobile usage, analyze the data that explains why mobile travelers are attractive to brands and advertisers, and look at some of the barriers to growth in the mobile travel space, particularly the high cost of international data roaming.

One-third of mobile travelers earn over $100,000 annually. Twelve percent make over $150,000.

A surprising proportion of these affluent mobile travelers, 71 percent, have downloaded a mobile app for loyalty or rewards programs they belong to.

A Google study of the role of mobile and travel found that affluent travelers— those earning over $250,000 annually— are increasingly turning to mobile devices for trip planning and travel-related information.

Advertising revenue will also flow to travel apps because they are able to ask for and collect location data from users.